In the blink of an eye

Monday, February 24, 2014

I have a new awareness today. Last Friday my brother called to tell me he had amputated his index finger and half of his middle finger on his dominant hand. I was horrified, but admit I thought he should have been more careful. He was sawing a board when the blade kicked it back and he caught his hand between the blade and the board. He has been safely operating a saw for about 50 years.

Today I had an errand to run about 30 miles from here. It was snowy, so I called my friend to postpone until better weather. I was being cautious. By noon, the weather had cleared, so we took off. It started snowing again, but nothing too terrible, so we made the trip there and back uneventfully....until within a mile from home. The road was mostly wet, but as I reached the bottom of a hill there was a light coating of snow. A car had stopped to make a turn. I braked. Evidently the snow covered a patch of ice, and I lost control of the car. Thank God the lady must have noticed me in her mirror, because she accelerated past her driveway, and gave me room for my spin. I was able to regain control after I was past the snowy area. But...in a split second my life, my friend's life, and the life of the woman in her car could have been changed forever. Should I have been more careful? Obviously. Had I not had to brake, I would have been fine. But, had I been coming down the hill slower, or braked before the snowy patch as soon as I saw the other car, even though she had not started braking herself, I could have saved 3 people in panic mode.

My being skinny would not have prevented this. My being fat did not cause this. But, had I been fully aware of my surroundings I could have minimized the risk. Sometimes I wake with my dietary and fitness goals in mind, and they preoccupy my mind most of the day. Being less than 100% focused on my driving could have been tragic, and my weight irrelevant.

No, I am not giving up on my quest for health. But there is more involved in staying healthy than calories in - calories out.